A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3

As opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others, a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords.

In this third volume of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy, familiar voices (and new ones) once again greet the listener as Mr. Dotrice redoubles his efforts in tackling such a mammoth tome. At around 46 hours of audio, A Storm of Swords follows the continuing conflict between the Stark and Lannister families and the ensuing war that has erupted across the kingdom.

The listener will be left on the edge of their seat and waiting for the next volume of the series as A Storm of Swords is brought to its dramatic close. True to his prior readings, Mr. Dotrice breathes a life into the characters so well that it is all too easy to forget that it is but a single man doing the reading.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

There’s something out there: a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic - unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it. Revan: hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior. A Jedi who left Coruscant to defeat Mandalorians - and returned a disciple of the dark side, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but his memories have been erased. All that’s left are nightmares - and deep, abiding fear. What exactly happened beyond the Outer Rim? Revan can’t quite remember, yet can’t entirely forget.

Has Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan turned you off from other books in this genre?

After Revan, I likely will not continue to read any further books set in the 'Old Republic' era. I distinctly got the impression that the point of this book was to supplement the SWTOR game, rather than as a free-standing story on its own.

Which character ??? as performed by Marc Thompson ??? was your favorite?

Lord Scourge was great. Very well done.

Any additional comments?

There were so many fantastic characters in the book. It's a shame that their potential was wasted.

Wuthering Heights

When Mr. Earnshaw brings a black-haired foundling child into his home on the Yorkshire moors, he little imagines the dramatic events which will follow. The passionate relationship between Cathy Earnshaw and the foundling, Heathcliff, is a story of love, hate, pity, and retribution, the effects of which reverberate throughout the succeeding generations.

Jane Eyre Part 3

This novel tells the story of Jane's early life, her experience at Lowood School, and as a governess. Her refusal to accept Rochester's love on any but her own strictly moral terms is a passionate cry for independence.

Lolita

Why we think it’s a great listen: Among the great literary achievements of the 20th century, Lolita soars in audio thanks to the incomparable Jeremy Irons, bringing to life Nabokov’s ability to shock and enthrall more than 50 years after publication. Lolita became a cause celebre because of the erotic predilections of its protagonist. But Nabokov's masterpiece owes its stature not to the controversy its material aroused but to its author's use of that material to tell a love story that is shocking in its beauty and tenderness.

Don Quixote

It's the classic adventure of a madman: the "renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha". He attacks windmills, believes a peasant girl to be a lady, and fancies that he is a knight-errant, dedicated to righting wrongs and rescuing damsels in distress.

I was very much looking forward to listening to this classic, but was compelled to stop after the first 5-hour segment. The narrator’s portrayal of the famous knight grated upon my nerves and did not make for an enjoyable diversion. It’s on this basis alone that I give a low-score for the rating.

Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori

16 years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort, Kaede, have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened.

I'll admit up-front that I only made it through the first couple of hours of the audiobook, but that was really all that I could take. I greatly enjoyed the previous three volumes of the Otori. This one, however, seemed artificial, juvenile, and without spirit.

I would not recommend it based upon either the story itself, or upon the narrators.

Moby Dick, Volume 1

"Call me Ishmael." Thus starts the greatest American novel. Melville said himself that he wanted to write "a mighty book about a mighty theme" and so he did. It is a story of one man's obsessive revenge-journey against the white whale, Moby-Dick, who injured him in an earlier meeting. Woven into the story of the last journey of The Pequod is a mesh of philosophy, rumination, religion, history, and a mass of information about whaling through the ages.

William Hootkins does an admirable job of breathing life into this American classic. Be sure to note that you must purchase each half of the book individually. There are other available versions on Audible (with other readers) that include the entire novel for the price of half of this one.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

English magicians were once the wonder of the known world, with fairy servants at their beck and call; they could command winds, mountains, and woods. But by the early 1800s they have long since lost the ability to perform magic. They can only write long, dull papers about it, while fairy servants are nothing but a fading memory.

The narration is well-done, but the story is terrible. It's tedious and boring and even after the first six hours it is still a chore to listen. I recognize that other listeners give the book high marks, so there does appear to be an audience for it, but be warned that it is a story told in slow-motion.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

In a time long forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons off balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. As the cold returns, sinister forces are massing beyond the protective wall of the kingdom of Winterfell. To the south, the king's powers are failing, with his most trusted advisor mysteriously dead and enemies emerging from the throne's shadow.

_A Game of Thrones_ is a truly wonderful book. For that alone, it deserves the four stars that I give it. Over all, Roy Dotrice does a fair job plugging through the 33+ hours of the story, but at times his accent can be difficult to follow.

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